Poland's and Hungary's soft impacts on Ukraine: common and distinguishing characteristics

Abstract

The article considers soft influences' characteristics of Poland and Hungary on Ukraine. Similar soft power's features of Poland and Hungary on Ukraine are: 1) goals (forming a positive image of states, spreading of their own (as well as common European) values, supporting foreign Poles and Hungarians, attracting Ukrainians to work and study); 2) institutions (government structures, diplomatic institutions, state and non-state fundations, public organizations, educational institutions, mass media); 3) directions (educational, cultural, economic, informational); 4) conditions (soft power of Poland and Hungary has a favorable ground, because Ukraine has chosen a pro-Western foreign policy course). Distinguishing characteristics of both countries' soft influence on Ukraine are: 1) the Hungary's soft power, unlike the Polish one, has rather limited geographical boundaries in Ukraine (the territory of Transcarpathia) and is closely related to the support of the Hungarian national minority; 2) the main feature of the educational direction of the Hungary's soft influence is that higher education, like school education, can be obtained in Ukraine's educational institutions in the Hungarian language; 3) soft power of Hungary is accompanied by mass passporting of the Transcarpathia's population, which can carry potentially serious political, demographic, socio-economic and other threats; 4) the Budapest's information influence, which can be called a sharp power, is often associated with criticism of Ukraine and even anti-Ukrainian propaganda.